Compliance
PCPNDT registration for an ultrasound clinic: guide Who must register, Form A, the fee, five-year validity, Form F records and the notice on the wall.
Any clinic with an ultrasound machine, whatever it is used for, has to be registered under the PC-PNDT Act before the machine is used. The registration is with the Appropriate Authority for your area, on Form A, and it brings a set of records that inspectors check line by line. Here is the process and the paperwork, from the Act and the Rules.
Published · Last reviewed · 13 min read
- Section 18(1) of the PC-PNDT Act bars anyone from opening a genetic clinic, "including clinic, laboratory or centre having ultrasound or imaging machine or scanner", unless it is registered. Rule 11(2) lets the Appropriate Authority seal and seize an ultrasound machine at an unregistered place.
- Apply in duplicate on Form A to the Appropriate Authority. The fee is ₹25,000 for a genetic counselling centre, laboratory, clinic, ultrasound clinic or imaging centre, and ₹35,000 for a place combining them. The certificate (Form B) is valid for five years and must be displayed.
- Renew on Form A thirty days before expiry, at half the fee. Tell the Authority at least thirty days in advance of any change of doctor, address or machine.
- Records: a Form F for every pregnant woman scanned, a register in serial order, a monthly report by the 5th, and all case records kept for two years. A notice that disclosure of the sex of the foetus is prohibited must be displayed in English and the local language.
Short answer: every clinic, nursing home or centre in India that has an ultrasound machine, or any other equipment capable of detecting the sex of a foetus, must register under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 before using it. You apply in duplicate on Form A to the Appropriate Authority for your area, with a fee of ₹25,000 (₹35,000 for a centre combining several services). The certificate lasts five years and is renewed on Form A thirty days before it expires, at half the fee. A doctor running the machine needs one of the qualifications listed in rule 3(3)(1) of the 1996 Rules.
This is an operational guide to registration and records. It does not cover how to perform or report an ultrasound.
Who must register under PC-PNDT?
The Act regulates three kinds of place: genetic counselling centres, genetic laboratories and genetic clinics. The definition of a genetic clinic in section 2(d) is "a clinic, institute, hospital, nursing home or any place, by whatever name called, which is used for conducting pre-natal diagnostic procedures", and its Explanation adds "a vehicle, where ultrasound machine or imaging machine or scanner or other equipment capable of determining sex of the foetus or a portable equipment which has the potential for detection of sex during pregnancy or selection of sex before conception, is used." Section 2(k) lists "ultrasonography" as a pre-natal diagnostic test.
Section 18(1) then says:
No person shall open any Genetic Counselling Centre, Genetic Laboratory or Genetic Clinic, including clinic, laboratory or centre having ultrasound or imaging machine or scanner or any other technology capable of undertaking determination of sex of foetus and sex selection, or render services to any of them, after the commencement of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Act, 2002 unless such centre, laboratory or clinic is duly registered under the Act.
The test is the machine, not the specialty. A general physician's clinic with an ultrasound machine used only for abdominal scans, an orthopaedic clinic using a portable machine for joints, and a radiology centre all need registration. The Explanation to rule 12(1) of the Rules confirms it for search and seizure: a genetic laboratory, clinic or counselling centre "would include an ultrasound centre/imaging centre/nursing home/hospital/institute or any other place, by whatever name called, where any of the machines or equipments capable of selection of sex before or after conception or performing any procedure technique or test for pre-natal detection of sex of foetus, is used".
The supply side is closed too. Rule 3A(1) bars any manufacturer, importer, dealer or supplier from selling, renting or allowing the use of an ultrasound or imaging machine to anyone not registered under the Act, and rule 3A(3) requires the buyer to give an affidavit that the machine will not be used for detection of the sex of the foetus. In practice the dealer will ask for your registration certificate, so register before you buy.
Who can set up and run an ultrasound clinic?
Rule 3(3)(1) of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Rules, 1996 says a person having adequate space and being or employing one of the following "may set up a genetic clinic/ultrasound clinic/imaging centre":
- (a) a gynaecologist with experience of at least 20 procedures such as chorionic villi aspiration, amniocentesis or foetal blood sampling under supervision;
- (b) "a sonologist or imaging specialist or registered medical practitioner having Post Graduate degree or diploma or six months training duly imparted in the manner prescribed in the the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) (Six Months Training) Rules, 2014";
- (c) a medical geneticist.
Clause (b) took this form through G.S.R. 13(E), dated 9 Jan 2014. Section 2(p) of the Act defines a sonologist or imaging specialist as a person with a medical qualification recognised under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, or a postgraduate qualification in ultrasonography, imaging techniques or radiology.
The six months training rules for MBBS doctors
The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) (Six Months Training) Rules, 2014 were notified the same day as G.S.R. 14(E). Their main points:
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| 3. Name of the course | "the Fundamentals in Abdomino- Pelvic Ultra sonography: Level one for M.B.B.S. Doctors" |
| 4. Length | 300 clock hours for the certificate of training |
| 5. Components | Theory, skill-based training, and a log book and assessment (Schedules I and II) |
| 6. Eligibility | Any registered medical practitioner. Doctors already doing ultrasound on the basis of one year's experience or six months' training were exempt if they passed the competency-based assessment; those who failed had to take the full training for renewal |
| 7. Where | Centres of excellence under Acts of Parliament, institutions recognised for postgraduate courses in obstetrics or gynaecology and radiology, and DNB residency institutions in those subjects, as notified state-wise |
| 8. Selection | 1:1 student-teacher ratio, training in the Department of Radiology, selection on the state PG entrance merit list, 20% reservation for in-service candidates |
| 9. Deadline for existing doctors | Those who failed the competency exam to clear the training "on or before 1st January, 2017" |
| 10. Fee | Not more than ₹20,000 for the training; not more than ₹10,000 for the competency evaluation of already registered doctors; in-service fees set by the state |
| 14. Validity | A certificate from any state is valid for registration in all states |
Which qualification is accepted is decided when your Form A is examined. Before you buy a machine or sign a lease, ask the Appropriate Authority in writing whether the doctor named on your application meets rule 3(3)(1) as it applies today.
How to apply: Form A step by step
- Find your Appropriate Authority. Under section 17 of the Act, the state government appoints one or more Appropriate Authorities "for the whole or part of the State". Your state health department will name the office that takes applications for your area.
- Prepare Form A in duplicate (rule 4(1)). It asks for the applicant and address, the type of facility, the type of ownership and institution, the specific procedures or tests (for an ultrasound clinic, non-invasive ultrasonography), the equipment with make and model of each, and the names, qualifications, experience and registration numbers of employees. Attach proof of the doctors' qualifications and council registration.
- Pay the fee. Rule 5(1)(a) sets ₹25,000 for a genetic counselling centre, genetic laboratory, genetic clinic, ultrasound clinic or imaging centre; rule 5(1)(b) sets ₹35,000 for a place combining these. Under rule 5(2) it is paid by demand draft in favour of the Appropriate Authority. The fee is not refunded; if the application is rejected, resubmission within 90 days needs no new fee.
- Get the acknowledgement. Rule 4(2) says the Authority acknowledges receipt on the slip at the bottom of Form A, immediately if delivered by hand or by the next working day if posted.
- Inspection and advisory committee. Under rule 6(1) the Authority makes an enquiry and places the application before the Advisory Committee. Rule 6(4) says inspection of the premises happens only after due notice.
- Decision within 90 days. Rule 6(5) requires the grant (Form B) or rejection (Form C) to be communicated within ninety days of receipt. A rejection must give reasons in writing (rule 6(3)).
- Display the certificate. Rule 6(2) says one copy of the Form B certificate "shall be displayed" at a conspicuous place at the place of business.
How long does registration last, and how is it renewed?
| Point | Rule | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | 7 | Five years from the date of issue |
| When to renew | 8(1) | Apply in duplicate on Form A, thirty days before the certificate expires |
| Renewal fee | 8(4) | One-half of the registration fee in rule 5(1) |
| Renewal period | 8(2) | A further five years from the expiry of the earlier certificate |
| If the Authority does not decide | 8(6) | If it neither renews nor rejects within ninety days of the renewal application, the certificate is deemed renewed |
| Old certificate | 8(5) | Both copies of the earlier certificate are surrendered once the renewal or rejection arrives |
| Transfer | 6(6), 6(7) | Not transferable. On change of ownership or management, surrender both copies; the new owner applies afresh |
| Changes | 13 | Intimate every change of employee, place, address and equipment at least thirty days in advance and seek a re-issued certificate |
Rule 13 catches clinics more often than renewal does. A new visiting sonologist, a replaced machine or a shift to the next building is a change that needs thirty days' notice and a corrected certificate before it happens.
What records does a registered ultrasound clinic keep?
Rule 9 sets out the records. They are where most inspection findings come from, so build them into the daily routine rather than catching up at month end.
- A register, in serial order, of the names and addresses of the men or women subjected to pre-natal diagnostic procedures or tests, the names of their spouse or father, and the date on which they first reported (rule 9(1)).
- Form F for each pregnant woman, for every genetic clinic, ultrasound clinic and imaging centre (rule 9(4)). The form records the centre's name and PC-PNDT registration number, the patient's name and age, the number of living sons and daughters with their ages, the spouse's or father's name, full address and contact number, and who referred her, with the referral slip kept with the Form F.
- A declaration on every scan report by the person conducting it "that he/she has neither detected nor disclosed the sex of foetus of the pregnant woman to any body", and a declaration by the pregnant woman before the scan that she does not want to know the sex of the foetus (rule 10(1A)).
- Written consent on Form G before invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villi biopsy, in a language the person understands (rule 10(1)).
- A complete report of all pre-conception or pregnancy-related procedures and tests for each month, sent to the Appropriate Authority "by 5th day of the following month" (rule 9(8)).
- All case records, consent forms, sonographic plates or slides, recommendations and letters, preserved for two years from the date of the test, or until the end of any legal proceedings if later (rule 9(6); section 29 of the Act).
- If records are kept on a computer, "a printed copy of the record shall be taken and preserved after authentication by a person responsible for such record" (rule 9(7)).
For non-pregnant patients, such as an abdominal scan for a man or a pelvic scan unrelated to pregnancy, Form F as printed is a record of prenatal diagnostic tests. Ask your Appropriate Authority how it wants non-obstetric scans logged, and keep its answer on file.
What notice must be displayed at an ultrasound clinic?
Rule 17(1) says every genetic counselling centre, genetic laboratory, genetic clinic, ultrasound clinic and imaging centre "shall prominently display on its premises a notice in English and in the local language or languages for the information of the public, to the effect that disclosure of the sex of the foetus is prohibited under law."
The Rules fix the message, not the words or the board size. "To the effect that" means clear wording carrying that meaning meets the rule. If your state health department has issued a standard board text, use it. A plain version: "Disclosure of the sex of the foetus is prohibited under law. This centre does not detect or disclose the sex of the foetus." Put the same text in the local language beside it, near the waiting area and the scan room door.
Rule 17(2) adds that "at least one copy each of the Act and these rules shall be available on the premises" and shall be shown to clients on demand. Keep a printed copy at the reception desk. The Form B registration certificate goes on the wall too (rule 6(2)).
Inspections, sealing and seizure
Rule 11(1) requires every registered place, and any place where a machine capable of sex determination is used, to "afford all reasonable facilities for inspection of the place, equipment and records" to the Appropriate Authority. Rule 11(2) lets the Authority "seal and seize any ultrasound machine, scanner or any other equipment capable of detecting sex of foetus, used by any organisation if the organisation has not got itself registered under the Act." Rule 12 sets the search and seizure procedure, which must be done in the presence of two or more independent witnesses, with a list of seized items prepared in duplicate.
What are the penalties under PC-PNDT?
| Section | Who | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| 23(1) | A medical geneticist, gynaecologist, RMP, owner or employee of a genetic centre, laboratory or clinic who contravenes the Act or Rules | Imprisonment up to 3 years and fine up to ₹10,000; on a subsequent conviction, up to 5 years and fine up to ₹50,000 |
| 23(2) | The registered medical practitioner | Name reported to the State Medical Council; suspension of registration if the court frames charges, until the case is decided; on conviction, removal from the register for five years for a first offence and permanently for a subsequent one |
| 23(3) | Anyone who seeks sex selection or prenatal tests for purposes other than those allowed in section 4(2) | Up to 3 years and fine up to ₹50,000; subsequent offence up to 5 years and fine up to ₹1,00,000. Section 23(4) excludes a woman who was compelled |
| 25 | Any contravention with no specific penalty elsewhere in the Act | Up to 3 months, or fine up to ₹1,000, or both; ₹500 a day for continuing contravention |
Because section 23(1) covers anyone who "contravenes any of the provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder", a missing Form F or an unreported change of machine falls under the same section as the more serious offences. That is why clinics treat the paperwork as seriously as the scan.
A checklist for a clinic adding an ultrasound machine
- Confirm the doctor who will scan meets rule 3(3)(1), and get the Appropriate Authority's view in writing.
- Register the clinic itself first under the Clinical Establishments Act or your state's Act; our clinic registration guide shows which applies.
- File Form A in duplicate with the ₹25,000 demand draft (₹35,000 for a combined centre) and keep the acknowledgement slip.
- Buy the machine only after the certificate arrives, and give the dealer the affidavit rule 3A asks for.
- Display the Form B certificate and the rule 17 notice in English and the local language. Keep a copy of the Act and Rules at reception.
- Set up the register, Form F for every pregnant woman, the declarations on each report, and a monthly report by the 5th.
- Keep every case record for two years, with printed and authenticated copies of anything kept on a computer.
- Put the renewal date in the diary at five years minus thirty days, and give thirty days' notice of any change of doctor, machine or address.
Questions
Do I need PCPNDT registration if my ultrasound machine is only for abdominal scans?
Yes. Section 18(1) of the Act covers any clinic or centre "having ultrasound or imaging machine or scanner" capable of determining the sex of the foetus, and rule 11(2) lets the Appropriate Authority seal and seize a machine used at an unregistered place. The purpose of your scans does not change the duty to register.
What is the PCPNDT registration fee?
Under rule 5(1) of the 1996 Rules, as amended, the application fee is ₹25,000 for a genetic counselling centre, genetic laboratory, genetic clinic, ultrasound clinic or imaging centre, and ₹35,000 for a place combining these services. It is paid by demand draft to the Appropriate Authority and is not refundable. Renewal costs half the fee.
How long is PCPNDT registration valid?
Rule 7 makes the certificate valid for five years from the date of issue. Apply for renewal on Form A thirty days before expiry (rule 8(1)). If the Authority neither renews nor rejects within ninety days of your renewal application, rule 8(6) treats the certificate as renewed.
Can an MBBS doctor do ultrasound in India?
Rule 3(3)(1)(b), as substituted on 9 Jan 2014, allows a registered medical practitioner with a postgraduate degree or diploma, or six months' training under the Six Months Training Rules, 2014, to set up an ultrasound clinic. That training is a 300-hour course at an accredited institution. Ask your Appropriate Authority what it currently accepts before you apply.
How long must PCPNDT records be kept?
Rule 9(6) and section 29 of the Act require all case records, consent forms, sonographic plates, recommendations and letters to be kept for two years from the date of the test. If any legal proceedings start, keep them until those proceedings end, whichever is later. Computer records need an authenticated printed copy.
Sources
- Government of Puducherry, The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, with the Amendment Act, 2002 (No. 14 of 2003) (sections 2, 18, 23, 25, 29) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- Directorate of Health Services, Himachal Pradesh, The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Rules, 1996, as amended up to G.S.R. 492(E), 22 May 2017 (rules 3, 3A, 4 to 13, 17, Forms A and F) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, G.S.R. 13(E) (PC-PNDT Amendment Rules, 2014) and G.S.R. 14(E) (Six Months Training Rules, 2014), 9 January 2014, Gazette of India Extraordinary No. 11, 10 January 2014 (copy hosted by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh) (accessed 26 Oct 2026)
This is operational guidance for clinics, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with your state authority, council or CA.
Drafted with AI assistance; every fact checked against the sources listed; reviewed by Shaurya Pratap Singh.